Rachel Wexler

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m the Co-Founder of Black Iris, a direct-to-consumer womenswear line which launched earlier this year, and an investor in early stage consumer-oriented businesses. I’m also mom to Theo, who just turned 15 months old.

What 3 words best describe your parenting experience to date?

Illuminating, heartwarming, fulfilling

What’s one of the hardest or most surprising things about being a parent that people wouldn’t expect or don’t usually talk about?

The sleep deprivation in the early days was far beyond what I expected. Even as someone who never needed much sleep, the exhaustion was real! It gets better in a few months, but I definitely felt unprepared for what that period was like.

What were some of your “wait...is this normal??” moments once you became a parent?

Walking over to my son’s crib multiple times throughout the night just to watch him breathe. Seriously though, is that normal?

What’s one of your favorite parenting hacks that helps keep you sane (that other parents should know about and start doing ASAP)?

Having a great group of mom friends with similarly-aged children has saved me time and time again. From 3am text messages about feeding in the early days, to discussing the merits of various convertible car seats later on, there’s nothing like a real-time conversation with someone who is going through the same thing.